Want to Netflix and chill this weekend? Here are 5 astonishing and thought-provoking documentaries for Americans that will leave you amazed

Movies and television shows are often viewed with an aim of entertainment and enjoyment. The content available across OTT platforms like Netflix covers almost all genres, be it comedy, thrill and suspense, rom-coms, or many others. But when it comes to watching documentaries, it's much more different, as it is undoubtedly more than laid-back entertainment.

The list of recommendations contains a few documentaries that throw light upon America’s history. Documentaries are mostly based on serious issues impacting society and crucial topics that need public attention. Not to forget, documentaries are predominantly based on true events and are meant to open your mind and expand your worldview by introducing the viewers to new people, places, and perspectives. There are a plethora of incredible documentaries available on the video streaming platform Netflix that deserve your time and patience.

Here are five of them from across a variety of themes and subject matters.

American Factory

Directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, the story of American Factory talks about a Chinese billionaire who opens a factory in an abandoned General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio. He hires approximately 2,000 American workers.

During the initial days, plenty of energy and optimism prevail, but a turning point arrives in the story soon. The documentary throws light on the challenges and frustrations of reconciling high-tech Chinese production sensibilities with working-class America. The documentary won an Academy Award for best documentary in 2019.

Our Planet

Our Planet is considered one of the top-notch nature documentary series. It is narrated by David Attenborough. The documentary addresses issues of conservation and climate change against spectacular footage of wildlife in a fascinating range of natural habitats around the world.

It is directed by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, the minds behind Planet Earth, Frozen Planet, and The Blue Planet. The series has won multiple Emmy awards, including outstanding nonfiction or documentary and outstanding narrator (Attenborough Hive, Rise Up).

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution

Crip Camp is about the story of Camp Jened in 1971. It was a pathbreaking summer camp for teenagers with disabilities. The film throws a spotlight on a group of Camp Jened campers who become activists in the disability rights movement, fighting for accessibility legislation and to make public spaces more inclusive.

Camp premiered at Sundance in 2020, where it won the Audience Award. It also received a nomination for an Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2020.

13TH

Directed by Ava DuVernay, 13th talks about mass incarceration in America. It highlights troubling connections between America’s history of slavery and its current prison system.

13th shows a series of interviews with influential writers, activists, politicians, and more, which portrays a grim picture of the purpose of the country’s prison system. The documentary projects it not as a place for rehabilitation, but as a method to exploit free labor that the 13th Amendment dismantled when it abolished slavery.

The film was nominated for an Academy Award in 2016 and won an Emmy for outstanding documentary the same year.

What Happened, Miss Simone??

The Emmy Award-winning documentary throws light on the complex life of American singer Nina Simone, who became a civil rights activist in the ’60s and subsequently moved to Liberia. The film comprises recordings that have never been heard before and also shows archival footage and audio of her best-known songs.

It was nominated for an Academy Award in 2015 and won the Emmy for outstanding documentary or nonfiction special that same year.